„This was the biggest earthquake in 100 years and it spread 150km across the fault line,” he said.

„A number of urban settlements, as well as villages, have been affected, many in the form of landslides and landslips, which means that roads have been cut off, water contaminated and power knocked out.”

Image copyrightReuters

Image caption
The 7.5-magnitude quake damaged rural villages

The governor of Hela province, Philip Undialu, told local media the damage was „extensive”.

„Our police station, courthouse, hospital… even private houses have been ripped apart or sunk into the ground,” Mr Undialu said from the country’s capital, Port Moresby.

Earthquakes are common in Papua New Guinea, which sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a hotspot for seismic activity.

Part of the country’s northern coast was destroyed by a tsunami in 1998, caused by a 7.0 earthquake.